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Conservation amendment gains signatures for ballot review

Published: Thursday, April 4, 2013 at 8:39 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, April 4, 2013 at 10:51 p.m.

Supporters of an effort to amend Florida's state constitution to dedicate a stable supply of money for conserving land and water resources announced Thursday they've crossed a key threshold in their quest to be considered by Florida voters on November 2014 ballots.

Florida's Water and Land Legacy Campaign officials said they have collected enough signatures to ask the state's attorney general to forward the proposed ballot measure to the state Supreme Court for review.

The review requires at least 10 percent of the eventual 683,149 signatures required to get the measure on the ballot. Campaign officials said they've collected 116,573 signatures.

The secretary of state verified the effort has collected the required 68,314 signatures, said campaign chair Will Abberger of The Trust for Public Land. The state Supreme Court will review the measure to make sure it refers to a single subject and the proposed ballot language is accurate and concise.

If the court approves the language, the measure would be authorized for the ballot once state officials certify the campaign has collected the full required number of signatures, which must be completed by Feb. 1, according to the state elections website.

If voters approve the measure, it would dedicate one-third of the state's existing documentary stamp taxes on real estate transactions, organizers said, raising an estimated $5 billion over 10 years.

The amendment would provide the "necessary funding for us to exercise proper stewardship of our resources across the state," said Manley Fuller, Florida Wildlife Federation president.

Campaign manager Pegeen Hanrahan, a former Gainesville mayor, said 256 groups in Florida have partnered with the campaign so far.

Among the local groups who have endorsed the measure are all four Audubon chapters, the Native Plant Society chapters and scenic byway groups. She said the campaign has 3,600 people helping to gather petitions. That includes several local residents.

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